The women’s basketball team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology knew something was up when Sonia Raman, the coach with the most wins in the program’s history, organized a video meeting on short notice in September. Most of the players figured it had to do with the coming season, and with complications stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
They were completely unprepared for the news Raman delivered — that she was joining the Grizzlies as an assistant coach.
“At first we were like, ‘Grizzlies? What college is that?’” Kylie Gallagher, a senior forward, recalled.
Raman quickly clarified that she was headed to the N.